April 1, 2022 [link removed] copy and paste this link to read the alert on MDAA's website. Follow and Support MDAA ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ MDAA Alert The 2022 National Capital Region Missile Defenders of the Year April 1, 2022 Bringing honor to the 2022 National Capital Region Missile Defenders of the Year, from Alexandria VA, March 30, 2022. Dear members and friends, From the origin of our first National Guard regiment dating to 1636, our Guardsman have been defending the American homeland for over 300 years. On 30 March 2022, we hosted, honored, and recognized today’s Guardsmen who operate the missile defense of our nation’s capital. The 2022 National Capital Region Missile Defender of the Year hosted here in Alexandria, VA, the hometown of one of the very best National Guardsmen, American President George Washington. We had a packed venue with 75 National Guardsmen representing the best teams who are defending the National Capital Region (NCR). Operation Noble Eagle stood up right after the horrifying air attack on U.S. soil on 9/11. MDAA was created at the same time as the United States withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty to best defend the Nation from Missile Attacks. A critical component of Operation Noble Eagle is the NCR-Integrated Air Defense System. The NCR-IADs are comprised of ground and air-based defense systems that are operated by our Army and Air Guardsman. The Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC) was stood up to serve as the command-and-control center for these various assets. We recognized the best performing teams over the past year for their excellence in operating the Sentinel Radar, Avenger, and NASAMS, along with a critical Support Team, the JADOC Floor Operators, and the Airmen who all JOINTLY work together protecting our nation’s capital. We awarded 19 total of the best of the best. As one of the young awardees stated in his acceptance speech “I have been to the range a lot but I have never been around this much brass”. We had a few brass leading with Lt Gen Marc Sasseville (Vice Chief, NGB), MG Giselle Wilz (Director of Staff, NGB), Maj Gen Charles Corcoran (Assistant Deputy, Chief of Staff, Operations, US Air Force), and Brig Gen Christopher Faurot (Guam TAG). MG Giselle Wilz and Brig Gen Christopher Faurot provided remarks to inspire and honor the awardees. Compelled by the experience of all 19 of the honorees and each of their remarks to the audience, Lt Gen Marc Sasseville asked to speak at the end. It was exceptional and inspiring to the audience as he was there at the JADOC when it first stood up but more importantly, he was in the air flying a fighter aircraft on 9/11 and committed to sacrifice himself and his wing-woman to negate the next air threat into the Capital Region on 9/11. He is a Missile Defense Legend for the National Capital Region. As we look out into the world and see the devastating missile attacks descending on other national capitols from Ukraine, UAE, and Israel, we here in the United States can feel safe knowing we have the best of the best from our National Guard keeping watch, ready to protect and defend our nation’s capitol. The 2022 National Capital Region Air & Missile Defender of the Year Awardees Sentinel Team Awardees Specialist Theodore Mandt 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Specialist Christopher Gibson 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Avenger Team Awardees Specialist John Freund 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Sergeant Carl Leinen 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Sergeant Erin Brooks 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** NASAMS Team Awardees Specialist Noah Widmer 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Sergeant Joseph Bruce 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Sergeant Raymond Ruschel 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Support Team Awardees Specialist Gordon Isler 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Staff Sergeant Matt Llewellyn 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Battalion JADOC Operations Team Awardees Specialist Billy Payne 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Specialist Jack Schwartz 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Staff Sergeant Alexander Bryson 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Second Lieutenant Jacob Eberle 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Captain Tanner Sundet 1-188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment North Dakota Army National Guard *** Air Force Awardee Senior Master Sergeant Angel Aponte 224th Air Defense Group Detachment 1 New York Air National Guard *** Task Force JADOC Operations Team Awardees Sergeant Vincent Kennedy 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade South Carolina Army National Guard *** Major Matthew Campbell 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade South Carolina Army National Guard *** Major Austin Garland 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade South Carolina Army National Guard *** Heroes associate with heroes. Winners associate with winners to win, and our best of the best associate with the best of the best in the missile defense of our capital region. Respectfully, ‌ Riki Ellison Chairman and Founder Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance Click Here to Join MDAA _____________________________________________________________________ MDAA is a non-profit, non-partisan tax-exempt 501(c) (4) organization. Our mission is to make the world safer by advocating for the development and deployment of missile defense systems to defend the United States and its allies against missile threats. We are a membership-funded organization that does not advocate on behalf of any specific system, technology, architecture or entity. Founded in 2002, MDAA is the only organization in existence whose primary mission is to recruit, organize, and mobilize proponents to advocate for the critical need of missile defense. Visit our website www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org for more information. 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